Saudi King Orders Appointment of Faisal bin Salman as Special Adviser, Salman bin Sultan as Governor of Madinah Region

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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Saudi King Orders Appointment of Faisal bin Salman as Special Adviser, Salman bin Sultan as Governor of Madinah Region

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, issued royal orders on Tuesday appointing Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the rank of minister, SPA said.
Also, Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was appointed as the Governor of Madinah Region at the rank of minister.
Other royal orders were issued and include:
-Relieving Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from his post as the Deputy Governor of Makkah Region and appointing Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Deputy Governor of Makkah Region at the excellent rank.
-Relieving Prince Ahmed bin Fahd bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from his post as the Deputy Governor of the Eastern Region and appointing Prince Saud bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Deputy Governor of the Eastern Region at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Prince Khalid bin Saud bin Abdullah bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Deputy Governor of the Tabuk Region at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Prince Khalid bin Sattam bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Deputy Governor of the Asir Region at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Prince Mutaib bin Mishaal bin Badr bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Deputy Governor of Al-Jouf Region at the excellent rank.
-Relieving Prince Mansour bin Muhammad bin Saad Al-Thani Al Abdulrahman Al Saud from his post as Governor of Hafar Al-Batin and appointing Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki bin Farhan Al Saud as Governor of Hafar Al-Batin at the excellent rank.

- Appointing Dr. Hisham bin Abdulrahman bin Falih Al-Falih as Assistant Minister of Interior at the excellent rank.
- Appointing Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Battal as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Khalid bin Farid bin Abdulrahman Hadrawi as an advisor at the Royal Court, at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Eng. Khalil bin Ibrahim bin Abdullah bin Salamah as Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Industry Affairs, at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Musaed bin Abdulaziz Al-Daood as Mayor of Makkah Region at the excellent rank.
- Appointing Eng. Abdullah bin Mahdi bin Ali Jali as Mayor of Asir region at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Dr. Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Maghlouth as Assistant Minister of Media at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Dr. Yousef bin Sayyah bin Nazzal Al-Biyali as Deputy Head of General Intelligence for Intelligence Affairs at the excellent rank.
-Appointing Zuhair bin Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Zouman as Assistant to the President of Human Rights Commission at the excellent rank.



Saudi Govt Rejects Any Attempts to Undermine Somalia’s Sovereignty

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Rejects Any Attempts to Undermine Somalia’s Sovereignty

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday the Kingdom’s rejection of any attempts “to create parallel entities that undermine Somalia's unity, territorial integrity, or national sovereignty.”

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's extraordinary meeting on Somalia in Jeddah that stressed the Kingdom’s stance on Somalia.

The Cabinet reviewed recent high-level discussions between the Kingdom and various countries, focusing on regional developments, ongoing efforts to anchor security and peace, and the Kingdom's commitment to multilateral initiatives that drive global stability and foster collective responses to shared challenges.

The Cabinet reiterated the centrality of the Palestinian cause, stressing the Kingdom's unwavering support for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. These efforts aim to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Cabinet commended the successful conclusion of the Gulf Shield 2026 joint military exercise, hosted by Saudi Arabia. Featuring the air and air defense forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the GCC Unified Military Command, the exercise underscored the commitment to boosting regional defense cooperation and strengthening collective military readiness.

The Cabinet reviewed several high-profile economic events hosted by the Kingdom, specifically highlighting the Saudi-Japan Ministerial Investment Forum and the Saudi-Canadian Business and Investment Forum. The summits resulted in numerous memoranda of understanding across strategic sectors, including space, cybersecurity, ICT, manufacturing, education, finance, water, and agriculture.


Hadhramaut Figures: Saudi Arabia's Historic Stance Paves Way for New Phase of Stability

Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Hadhramaut Figures: Saudi Arabia's Historic Stance Paves Way for New Phase of Stability

Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Several prominent figures from Yemen's Hadhramaut praised on Monday's Saudi Arabia's stance on the governorate that prevented it from sliding towards deeper unrest and instability.

The figures told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Kingdom's position was not limited to tackling the current crisis, but paves the way for a new phase of stability and development as parties prepare for a Riyadh conference on the southern issue.

The conference will mark a turning point in "rearranging" the political scene in the South, they remarked.

Hadhramaut is at a pivotal moment that demands united ranks that will come up with a unified vision that preserves the governorate's interests and allows it to play an effective role in any future political process, they added

Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi Arabia's "historic" stance and determination over the December 3 developments prevented the governorate from slipping into chaos.

Hadhramaut may have escaped the crisis, but it has embarked on a new path towards progress and development, he stated.

The call for intra-south dialogue is a sign that a secure and stable future is on the horizon, he noted.

"We are already seeing these signs with Saudi Arabia's brotherly support," he remarked.

Another member of the council, Al-Hakam Abdullah al-Nahdi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the support offered by Saudi Arabia, led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, will be "etched in Hadhramaut's memory and relayed to generations to come."

"Hadhramaut represents a natural strategic depth to the Kingdom and its security is indivisible from Saudi Arabia's," he added.

"Were it not for Saudi Arabia's stance, we would have been mired in chaos," he went on to say.

He said he was optimistic about the future as long as Saudi Arabia was by Hadhramaut's side, calling on the people to "seize this opportunity by rallying together and shunning division."


Somalia Cancels All UAE Deals

A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)
A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)
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Somalia Cancels All UAE Deals

A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)
A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)

Somalia's government said on Monday that it was annulling all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, including port deals and defense and ‌security cooperation, ‌citing ‌evidence ⁠the UAE had ‌undermined its national sovereignty. 

"The Council of Ministers has annulled all agreements concluded with the United Arab Emirates, ⁠including those involving federal governmental ‌institutions, affiliated entities, and ‍regional administrations ‍operating within the territory ‍of the Federal Republic of Somalia," a statement from Somalia's Council of Ministers said. 

"This decision applies to all agreements ⁠and partnerships relating to the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo ... (and) bilateral security and defense cooperation agreements," the statement added.